Is Being a Good Girl a Bad Thing?
by xSiriusly Insanex
Summary: Claire Tyler has always been known as Gryffindor's good girl. When her best friend, Katie Bell, starts acting in ways that a friend shouldn't, Claire and her other friends, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, come up with a plan, a plan that would tarnish her good girl rep. Can she betray her best friend like she betrayed her, or will her good girl ways prevail?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I deleted this but have decided to repost it. I deleted it, mainly because I didn't think that I would have time to update it. But I've decided to post it again. However, updates may not be frequent, depending on my schoolwork/other fics.**

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><p>Potions class has always been my least favourite out of all the classes that I attend at Hogwarts. Professor Snape hands out so much homework and it is very tedious and long. But I'm not complaining; look at all the muggles who have to complete math homework, while I'm at a magical school, set in an ancient castle with tonnes of secret passages. Katie always says that my positive outlook was annoying, but it was better than moping around like she does.<p>

This year, my goal is to be better at potions. A new year (my sixth year, which means that only a few students are accepted into NEWT class) with a new potions partner. This year, no offense to the twins, but I hope that I get partnered with someone who will actually be productive.

Katie waved at me from across the classroom, and I smiled back. Snape made sure that we didn't sit next to each other, because we talk too much. He is the only person that I am certain that I hate.

After his boring speech, Snape started to assign potions partners. I would like to be with Katie, but I know that Snape wouldn't allow it.

"Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson."

I smiled at them. Angelina is one of my good friends, and she and Katie get along. It's good that they get along.

"Dave Novoselic and Fred Weasley."

I glanced at Angelina, who was making goo goo eyes at Fred. She's been mad for him since forever. I, however, have never had a crush on a boy.

"Clarisse Tyler and Oliver Wood."

That's me. I glanced at Oliver, who moved his desk towards mine. I didn't know too much about him, apart from the fact that he is the captain of my house team, Gryffindor.

"Hey," he whispered, as Snape continued to assign partners.

"Hey," I replied, taking out a piece of parchment and a quill. I hoped that he wasn't disruptive like Fred and George were (last year, Snape assigned me as their partners because I would be a 'positive influence' on them. I tried as hard as I could, but I eventually had to talk to McGonagall about them, because my marks were dropping dramatically. I felt horrible afterwards) because I needed good potions marks if I was going to be a healer. When Snape was finished, he told us all to make a Draught of Living Death. I had never looked at a method that was more complicated. However, I got up and looked for the ingredients, determined to get it right. Maybe this year, I can make a good impression on Snape.

I sat back down and started to chop up the Fluxweed grass. I only stopped when I felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned to face my partner.

"What is it?" I asked.

He blinked a few times, before giving me a small smile. "Nothing. You just haven't said a word to me except for 'hey'. If this partnership is going to work, don't you think that you should be getting to know me?"

To many people, that would have seemed very rude of him, but _I_ was the one who felt rude. I completely ignored him, and people say that I'm friendly.

"Sorry. I'm Clarisse."

"I know. Can you tell me about you?"

I frowned slightly. It is a potions class; we don't need to get to know each other. But politeness dictated that I should tell him, so I did.

"I'm Clarisse, but friends call me Claire. I'm sixteen, I like reading... I'm not very interesting, to be honest."

He smirked. "Okay. I'll be the judge of that, Claire. My name is Oliver, but most people call me Wood. I'm sixteen and I like Quidditch."

My initial impression of Oliver Wood was that he was straight to the point. Not rude, but somewhat blunt. But he didn't seem like he was a bad person, either.

"Okay," I said, changing the subject. "Could you please help me cut up the sophophorus beans, and I'll keep doing this..."

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><p>Back in my dormitories that night, my three best friends and I were discussing our new timetables.<p>

Katie Bell is my best friend, mostly known as Kats. She's not like me in some ways; she has a negative yet realistic outlook on life. My first impression of her was that she was very pessimistic, but I got to know her, and I came to appreciate her honesty. Maybe she isn't the happiest person I know, but she is the most supportive. Kats is beautiful and mature looking for sixteen: long, straight blonde hair, green-blue eyes, tanned skin and a tall and willowy body.

I met Angelina Johnson, AKA Angie, on the Hogwarts Express when we were eleven. She's a complete and utter Quidditch fanatic; that girl lives and breathes Quidditch. Angie is vivacious and loyal, but sometimes a little overbearing. Her appearance gives off that impression too. She's tall and curvy, with defined cheekbones, braided black hair, dark skin and perfectly arched eyebrows. Her exotic brown eyes have a naturally appraising look to them, as though she is always judging someone or something.

Last, but certainly not least, Alicia Spinnet. Three words: tiny, powerful and loud. That girl has such a thing against boys. Never has she had a boyfriend, because according to her, all boys are wastes of time. I couldn't agree more. The amount of times that I have had to comfort Angelina over a guy... anyway, back to Allie. She's like a little pixie, with wavy golden brown hair, almond shaped green eyes and a small nose. She has a cheeky smile, which matches her demeanour perfectly. In some ways, she's like a female Fred Weasley.

And me. There is nothing spectacular about me at all, and that is not meaning to sound pessimistic. I'm ordinary. I'm not particularly intelligent and I'm not sporty. And I am certainly not beautiful: I have shoulder length brown hair, dark blue eyes and an average height body that has little shape at all. But I don't really mind about all that. I have loving friends and family, and that is what really matters.

This year, I realised, might actually be really, really good academically. Oliver seems to be focused, and we topped everyone in the class with our potion. Most guys just don't care about their marks.

Angelina was saying that she was only taking a few classes, because she was going to be focusing on Quidditch. Of course, Katie had to put in her unwanted opinion.

"Angie, I think that you should be focusing on classes."

"Why?" Angelina asked, frowning.

"Well," Katie began, as if she was pointing out one of the most obvious concepts known to man. "Let's say that tomorrow, you walk down the stairs and see Fred shirtless. You swoon, tumble down the stairs, break a leg, and there goes your Quidditch career. You need back up options."

One of the things that I don't like about Katie was that she has a way of hurting people's feelings and making them annoyed, and she was far from oblivious that she was doing it. Then again, I guess it was a realistic outlook; Angelina could easily sustain an injury and never play again...

Angelina stood up, gave Katie a filthy look and stalked out. I made my way to follow her; I hated when we were all mad at each other. I really did.

"Claire," Katie said, irritated, "don't bother. She just wants attention."

I decided to ignore Katie, the girl who made Angelina so upset in the first place.

People always say that I'm a really nice person, but I don't agree. I just like to make sure that everyone is happy, which sounds somewhat pathetic. But I just hate seeing people sad or upset. It makes me want to hug them, no matter who they may be, although Snape is the possible exception. However, I couldn't find Angelina anywhere. She was possibly in the Room of Requirement, and I don't know how to get in. Personally, I actually think that Katie was right, and I also think that Angelina might have been overreacting a tad. Oh well. I'm a Prefect, so I have an hour later curfew than most students do. I decided to go up to my Dormitory, grab a towel and some clothes and have a bath in the Prefects bathroom. Maybe when I get back, Angelina would have calmed down from her huff.

"Couldn't find her, could you?" Katie asked when I got back, eyes locking on mine. I shook my head.

"She'll calm down soon enough," I reasoned, and Katie rolled her eyes.

"She does this every time I make a joke. Seriously, it was funny, right?" Katie said, widening her eyes in a would be innocent manner.

"Yeah, but not to her. If you're going to make a joke, don't make it at the expense of another."

Katie snorted; this was an argument that we often had.

"Don't be such a prude, Claire. That's what makes a joke funny! You make it at the expense of another! Please, name a joke that is actually funny that I have made, that 'isn't at the expense of anyone."

I opened my mouth, but luckily, Alicia answered for me.

"The snake in a bush joke."

I blushed at the memory. That was such a disgusting joke, and it wasn't at the expense of anyone. Katie rolled her eyes again; it was something that she did very often.

"Okay, why don't you make jokes about me instead? I won't get offended," I suggested, knowing inside that this argument was going to go nowhere.

"You do nothing amusing," Katie sneered. "You're too much of a good girl."

I didn't feel offended, because it was true. Katie wonders why some people dislike her... it's because of comments like that. God, that was an awful thing to think. My stomach started churning guiltily.

"Whatever," I said, sounding snappier than I expected. "I'm going to go and have a bath."

Alicia smiled at me sympathetically, as I grabbed a fluffy white towel, a change of clothes, and made my way to the bathroom.

I started to feel tears well in my eyes as I thought about what Katie said. She always said that she loved how nice and well behaved I was, and that it was a great thing. She's my best friend... and that was a horrible thing for her to say.

"Raspberry swirl," I muttered to the door of the bathroom, wiping my eyes. The door opened and just as I walked in, I bumped into something hard. I turned my tear-stained face up and spotted Oliver Wood, who was wearing only a towel around his waist. As soon as I realised this, I pointedly looked away from him. One of the things that bothers me about the bathroom is that Prefects, Head People and Quidditch Captains alike can walk in and out as they please.

"You okay, Claire?" he asked, and I trained my eyes on his, surprised and embarrassed. Embarrassed, because he caught me crying like a little girl, and because he was in only a towel. Surprised, because I didn't actually expect him to care. From what Alicia and Angelina have said about him, the only thing that he cares about is Quidditch.

"Fine," I muttered, wiping my eyes and smiling shakily. "I'll go, if you like, because-"

Oliver cut me off. "Nah, I'm done in here. All yours. You sure you're okay?"

I nodded again. "Just my friend, Katie. She's a bit-"

"Blunt? Rude?" he offered up, chuckling. I opened my mouth to ask how he knew, but he again cut me off. "I'm her captain, remember?"

My mouth formed an 'o' shape in understanding.

"Just ignore her. After being her captain for five years, it's what I've learned to do."

I actually let out a watery chuckle, feeling considerably better. I made to go forwards, just as he moved to get out the door. We ended up doing that awkward sidestep thing that girls and boys do in muggle movies, before he placed his hands on my waist, pulling me so that I was standing where he just was. If I was Alicia, I would have opened my mouth to protest, as a guy placed his hands in a somewhat intimate area, and the thought made me chuckle; a vision of her squawking like a bird swum before my eyes.

"Something funny?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head, worried that I was about to burst into mirthless laughter. What was wrong with me?

"Nothing," I managed to choke out, before I spotted his clothes behind me. I chucked them to him and he smiled gratefully at me.

"Thanks. Have a nice bath," he said, walking out of the bathroom. It was then that I started to giggle like a little girl, my sadness at Katie's words ebbing away. My laughter echoed in the extravagant bathroom, until I heard a cough and abruptly stopped. A ghostly figure of a miserable looking ghost arose from one of the toilets. Myrtle. Sometimes, I deliberately go into her bathroom to see if she's okay. Actually, she isn't bad company.

"Hello, Claire," she said, and she literally smiled. SMILED.

"Hi, Myrtle," I replied.

"I'll look away," she said, swivelling her translucent body around so that I could get undressed. I hate how some of the Hogwarts students tease her. It goes to show what can happen if you actually get to know someone, ghost or human. When I was undressed, I turned the tap on and made raspberry scented bubbles pour out of the taps. I stepped in and sighed as the heat of the water washed over my body.

"You can turn around now," I said to Myrtle, and she did so.

"You know," she said in her nasal voice, "I don't turn around for everyone. Usually, I spy from a corner. Like I did to the Quidditch guy, Oliver Wood. The handsome one."

I blushed at the implications of what she was saying. I made a mental note to tell him to be careful around Myrtle. Okay, I know that she probably wouldn't want me too, but I would like to know if someone was staring at me when I was naked, whether the starer be human or not.

I felt a lot better after the bath, even better than I did after I spoke to Oliver. If I thought about it, today was good. I had a good potions partner, my timetable worked out... but there was just something that was bothering. And it was about – you guessed it – Katie.

"_You do nothing amusing. You're too much of a good girl."_

Did she say that I was boring? That she didn't like me being a 'good girl?'

Is being a good girl a bad thing?

As I made my way back to the Dorms, I spotted Angelina sitting on her bed, scowling. I sat next to her and asked if she was okay.

"I'm fine," she said shortly, eyes fixed on the wall.

"It's just Katie," I said, before I could stop myself. I surprised Angelina and myself by how harsh my tone of voice was.

"Oh yeah?" Angie said softly. "Take your own advice and apply it yourself, or else you sound hypocritical. Allie told me what she said to you. It isn't fair that she's being like this to everyone, Claire. Especially you. Look," she said in a soft voice, leaning closer to me. "I know that she is your best friend. For years, I have put up with these snide sort of comments. I know that they are small, but they add up to so much more. If she only said it to me, I wouldn't care so much. But what she said to you was low, even for her standards. You know what she said to me when I came back? 'Have you and Claire been sulking and bitching about me?'"

I bit my lip. What Angelina said was true, but I didn't know if I actually agreed with her. First, I needed to ask a question.

"Is being a good girl a bad thing?"

It was Angie's turn to bite her lip. "It was cute when you were fourteen. But we're sixteen now. I don't think that you deserve to be putting up with Katie's putting down. Because you are sort of sensitive, but in the best way possible."

I don't think that any of us have ever said anything to Katie about her comments before. It was then that I had a revelation: Angie wasn't overreacting. She just doesn't put up with that sort of thing.

Maybe I'm too much of a good girl to give Katie a piece of her own medicine.

Maybe I want to.

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><p><strong>AN: So that was the first chapter, a little boring I know, but nonetheless, reviews are always appreciated. As I said in my summary, Angelina and Claire come up with a plan, the beginnings of it forming at the end of the chapter. I know that it sort of seemed that they were overreacting, but things will become clearer in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

On the last day of our first week as sixth years at Hogwarts, it was evident that Katie was starting to become even more of a bitch, or so Angie put it. I don't know. Maybe it was the hormones?

It started off fairly mild. But then it got bad. For example, it was quite a hot night on Wednesday, but I was cold anyway. I wore pajamas that covered me up because of it, and as we walked down to the common room, Katie made a comment saying that we didn't live in the Victorian era; I didn't have to cover myself up because I was a lady. When Alicia and Angelina started paying out Katie for saying it, she retorted by saying that 'Oh look, Claire has two girlfriends. Sorry girls, but she is such a prude. You won't be shagging her anytime soon.'

I have no idea why she has suddenly started behaving like this! It was a really hurtful thing to say, and I cried a little afterwards. Angie has been trying to persuade me to be part of her 'plan', but I don't want to hurt Katie or anything. I can tell that it will be something horrible. And I'm still not sure whether I want to be a part of that just yet. I can tell that Angelina and Alicia are becoming very fed up. And honestly, so am I.

"Claire," a Scottish voice said, and I snapped out of my thoughts and looked into the brown eyes of Oliver Wood. The partnership has been working out very well, if I do say so myself. We had finished our potion, and Snape said that we could sit quietly and wait for the 'more incompetent' students to complete theirs.

"Yeah?" I whispered, as Snape was hovering over us like the bat he was, and I didn't think that he would appreciate us talking. In fact, he heard Oliver and slapped him across the back of his head with a book. I stifled a giggle, resting my arms on the desk and resting my head in them. Oliver followed suit, facing me so that we could talk.

"Are you okay? You look like something is bothering you," he whispered softly, careful so as to not bother the bat, AKA Snape.

Then I started noticing weird things. Things that I haven't noticed before.

His eyes were a really deep brown, that seemed to change with his mood. For example, they were almost black when he was looking at Snape, but they were their usual shade now. They were also speckled with gold. He had messy brown hair that curled behind his ears, and sharp and defined cheekbones. And our faces were inches apart; I could smell his breath, which smelt like apples.

"Claire?"

I broke out of my daze for the second time today at his words, my cheeks flooding with colour. God, why was I noticing his handsome appearance.

Uh oh. Handsome?

"Are you sure you're okay? You look like something's eating at you."

I nodded, smiling slightly. There is no reason to say anything about this 'plan' (I'm fairly certain that it involves being horrible to Katie, and I don't think that I want to) because, well, he won't understand.

"Is it about Katie?" he asked softly, and I shivered for some reason, even though it was a warm day. I decided to tell him. Well, a partnership of any kind will only work with trust. When I finished, he looked sympathetic and... something that I couldn't put my foot on.

"That's really low of her. After lessons, I'll ask if she can come down for private Quidditch training. Maybe I could knock some sense into her."

Then I did something strange. I started blushing. I rarely ever blush, so it was very odd. What was even odder was that I had an strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, a warm sort of feeling.

"You would do that?" I asked, slightly incredulous. I barely knew the guy, yet he was about to try to get my best friend back.

"Yeah, of course. You are the reason I'm going to get good potions marks," he chuckled, and when he spotted my expression, he added, "and because you're a mate. That's what mates do. Personally, I've always wondered why you were friends with her – you're so sweet and she's so... not."

Was it just me, or was Oliver blushing?

And how does he know that I am sweet? He barely knows me!

"I know you're sweet because you never fail to come to every Quidditch training session and cheer your friends on," he explained, and I think I must have imagined the blush. I nodded just as Snape whacked him over the head.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Wood, for flirting during class."

This time, _I_ blushed.

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><p>Later that night, I was reading a muggle book called <em>The Lord of the Rings<em>, when Katie skipped into the Dormitory. Yes, skipped. Maybe Oliver did somehow knock some sense into her during the training session!

"Hey girls," Katie trilled, flopping down on her bed and grinning at the ceiling. Hang on... why is she acting like Angelina does after she's hooked up with a guy?

"Hey," Alicia replied, clearly disconcerted. I was too. What was going on?

"Hang on," Angelina said, standing up swiftly and waddling over to Katie, making sure that her freshly painted toenails didn't become messy. "You have a smirk on your face that clearly reads 'boy.'

Katie sighed contently. "Yeah! Angelina, what does your magazine say about guys liking girls?"

Angelina summoned one of her muggle magazines and flipped to a page, reading it out as though she was some sort of expert, which I suppose she is.

"If a guy teases or insults a girl, it clearly means that he likes her!"

Katie let out an atypical squeal and kicked her legs in the air. "Yes!"

I was completely nonplussed. "What's going on?"

"Well," she began, "after lessons, Oliver summoned me for private Quidditch training, which clearly meant alone time. He made me do all these laps, and then he started talking to me about you guys. Then he said something along the lines of, 'Bell, I hope that you are being decent to your friends.' Of course, I replied to him, reassuring him that I was, by saying, 'Keep your head out of my business, Wood, and go shove it back up your ass.' Well, he did just make me do laps, so I was really annoyed. Then he said, 'you're hurting one of the sweetest people I know, Bell. She is trying to be decent by pretending it doesn't matter, but she's hurting. I suggest YOU get your head out of your ass and stop being so selfish.' Of course, Angie! The magazine is right! Oliver likes me!"

I bit my lip. Was he talking about me? Was I one of the sweetest people he knew? God, he barely knows me. But he's the one being sweet...

"I wonder who he was talking about, though," Katie pondered aloud, her eyes looking up at the ceiling in thought. "It obviously can't be you guys. You aren't that sweet..."

The smile on Angelina's features suddenly slipped off. In its place, a deep frown appeared, before she sighed and stood up.

"Whatever, Katie. Oliver wouldn't like you," she sneered, and I was taken aback by the hostility. Then again, Angie does have that fiery streak.

"Oh, like you can talk!" exclaimed Katie, looking angry. "You're the girl who has been dumped over a hundred times! Like you can give relationship advice!"

"At least I've had a relationship!" Angie cried, brown eyes narrowed. "Unlike you, who is deluded enough to think that Oliver Wood fancies her! You know who he's mad for, and it is certainly not you!"

Suddenly, Katie's green-blue eyes pierced into my sapphire ones, fiery, dangerous and threatening. I was again taken aback. Why the sudden hostility! I don't think I did anything wrong, did I?

"Steal him from me, Claire, and I will never forgive you."

With that, she flounced off into the showers.

Katie has never really taken an interest in guys. The only guy who she has ever had a crush on is my older brother, Tom, who is three years older than I am. And that just was a long time ago. I never knew that she was into Oliver Wood; her appeal for him has happened very suddenly. As has her attitude change. Has something happened that I'm not aware of? In the few days while we have been back at Hogwarts, I can tell that something inside her has snapped big time. And if something has happened, why hasn't she told me? We're supposed to be best friends who tell each other everything. We always have.

And why did she tell me not to steal Oliver? I barely know the guy. Maybe she feels threatened, because we are partners in potions, but it isn't as though anything will ever happen between us. Gosh. I'm with Alicia; guys are wastes of time.

"You okay, Claire?" the girls asked me, enfolding me in a hug. It felt nice to be hugged by both Angelina and Alicia; I didn't feel so upset and confused.

"Look," Alicia said, when they both pulled away, "I understand that she is your best friend. But she isn't treating you the way that best friends should. It's our last year, Claire. I want to make the most of it, and if Katie keeps making you miserable and us angry by her comments, we won't be able to. We have a plan."

I nodded; curious yet scared to find out what it is about.

"Basically, we give her a taste of what we are feeling. Avoid her, insult her... maybe then she'll feel some remorse and empathy."

I frowned and shook my head. No...

"She isn't your best friend, Claire," Angelina said shortly, brown eyes fixed on my features. "Something has changed about her. She isn't the Katie we once knew."

"It's only the first week," I protested, "let's just see what happens once she settles into seventh year. Maybe she's just struggling with the lessons; maybe I can help her..."

Alicia shook her head curtly, brushing a golden brown lock from her eyes. "I struggle in lessons and am I taking it out on my best friend? No. Look, she hasn't been the same for a while now. Since around Christmas last year is when I started noticing it."

I hadn't noticed anything different. Maybe Alicia is looking too far into things...

"So you're planning to avoid her and insult her?" I questioned, my gut turning guiltily.

"Among other things," Angelina replied curtly.

"Remember when you girls were fighting with her in third year?" I asked, and they nodded. "Well, she doesn't care about that sort of stuff, I hope you realise. She just won't care."

Alicia and Angelina exchanged looks. The latter of them spoke up.

"When was the last time that you and Katie had a fight, Claire?"

"Um..." I racked my brains. "I can't remember."

"I can," Alicia piped up. "She was miserable for days when you weren't talking. And that was only two years ago; her personality hasn't changed much since then."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Angelina began, looking behind her shoulder and making sure that the noise of the shower was blocking out her voice, "that if you join us, she will care. She isn't acting as though she is caring about you, Claire. Well, join us and we'll make her care. We'll make her appreciate what she has. That's why we want to do this. Not to be mean or for any other reason. We want the old Katie to come back."

I opened my mouth to reply, but then I heard the water turn off and the shower door creak.

"Let us know if you want to do it, okay? We'll give her a piece of her own medicine and make her more appreciative."

Angelina and Alicia walked back to their respective beds, just as Katie walked out of the shower. I avoided her eye contact and closed my curtains, before I heard her snide laughter.

"Going to bed early, Claire? You're such a _good girl_."

She makes being a good girl sound like a bad thing.

* * *

><p>The next night, Saturday, I found that I couldn't sleep. Well, I didn't sleep well last night either. I felt so guilty and hurt, but I couldn't bring myself to approach Alicia or Angelina. I just secluded myself and hoped that it would all blow over.<p>

I could hear Angelina, Alicia and Katie's soft breathing. I wasn't going to be sleeping any time soon. It was a windy, cold September night, so I put on some warm clothes, stood up and walked out of the Dorms. I had a plan to go for a walk throughout the Hogwarts grounds. Would a good girl break curfew, Katie? And I'm a prefect! Even worse!

I was starting to have sarcastic thoughts. Now I feel really bad.

I had never sneaked out before. Okay, okay. Call me a female Percy (no offence to him or anything) but there are rules in place for a reason. However, I wasn't in the mood for abiding them. Katie isn't the only one who can change.

I crept out into the grounds, thankful that my clothes were so thick. Dressing like a Victorian isn't such a bad thing.

I sat down on a rock and stared at the starry sky. It truly was a beautiful night, albeit chilly. I spotted an odd shape flying in the sky. Frowning, I leaned forward and saw that it was a student. I chuckled; must be a real Quidditch fanatic. The figure – which I identified to be male – started to land. It was then that I noticed that it was Oliver Wood.

I tried to make myself unnoticeable, but he spotted me. Rats.

"Who's there?" he yelled out, and I could tell that he was worried. Maybe he thought that it was a Slytherin who was spying.

"Erm, Claire," I replied, as loud as I dared to raise my voice. I saw him smile slightly and he made his way towards me. I hadn't spoken to him since the potions class.

"Hey," he said, sitting next to me, broomstick in hand. His hair was windswept, making him look quite attractive. Then I scolded myself. Katie likes him.

"Hey."

"So how did things with Katie go?" he asked, shrugging off his jumper. Was he mad? It was freezing!

"Erm..." I trailed off, as I noticed that underneath his jacket, he was wearing a tight shirt that really showed off how fit he was. Gosh, I just wanted to-

My forbidden thoughts were cut off as he shrugged the jumper over my shoulders. What?

"I have three jumpers on, Oliver. I'm fine."

He chuckled. "You're shivering like mad, Claire. I wouldn't want my potions partner catching hypothermia, would I?" he said in a teasing tone, nudging my shoulder. I felt extremely warm after he said that, and I didn't think it had anything to do with the jumper. In fact, I didn't know why.

"Um, so back to your question," I said, hastily changing the subject, "she thinks that you fancy her."

Oliver looked very startled and confused. "How did she get that impression?"

"Well, in one of Angelina's romance magazines, it said that when a guy insults a girl, it means that he fancies her. She told me what you said-"

"Wait, she told you everything?" he asked, and I swear that he blushed. Or maybe it was because of the physical exertion. I decided to avoid this question and plough on.

"I think that because you wanted to train her alone way before the Quidditch season started, she got the impression that you wanted 'alone time'."

His lips parted in understanding and he nodded, running his fingers through his messy hair, achieving in making it even messier. I drew my knees up to my chest and started shivering again. I've always gotten cold easily.

"C'mon," he said in his soft accent, "you're cold. I'll walk you back to the common room."

"I don't feel like going back," I said, looking at him. Seriously, his eyes were really, really-

"Well then, I can't get you getting sick. I'll keep you warm."

Before I could comprehend what he meant, my body was pressed against his, my resting against his chest. I could feel his breath on my cheek, which sent warm shivers (is that possible?) down my body. His arms were wrapped around me, and I could feel him shivering slightly. Odd. His heartbeat was going very, very fast. Well, he certainly was achieving at keeping me warm. I didn't want to move away, in case I seemed rude, but I knew that staying was wrong...

I gently eased my way out of his arms, and when he felt that I wanted to move, he dropped his arm away from my body. He looked a little hurt, and I quickly elaborated.

"Sorry, I actually should go. I don't want to waste your time," I muttered, feeling heat flare up in my cheeks.

"You aren't-"

"I don't care!" I yelled, shocking myself with how rude I was being. He just needs to stop being nice. It is confusing me. He is Katie's property. What does he want with me? I'm not pretty; I'm not at all profound in any way whatsoever. Even if I was interested – which I'm not – Katie has marked him. She could get any guy she wanted. He'll fall for Katie if she wants him to.

The thought left me feeling oddly hollow.


	3. Chapter 3

Alicia Spinnet is one of the most supportive people that you will ever meet. I was entirely grateful for that fact a week later. See, Alicia seems a bit standoffish to a lot of people, but she's there when you need it.

"Katie is just scum, Claire," she hissed, green eyes gleaming with anger. My own eyes were gleaming with poorly concealed tears.

Katie and I got into a bit of a fight an hour ago. It all started because Katie claimed that I was flirting with Oliver during potions. I, in all honesty, have no idea how to flirt. If I was flirting, I was doing it unintentionally. I was, intentionally, helping a friend. He was stuck on his potion, and I assisted him. That's what partners do, right?

Well, not according to the melodramatic Katie. She said that I was 'way too close for comfort' and that I 'kept smiling at him'. Yeah, I smiled. And yeah, I was close, because we were at the same desk. I'm pretty sure that that doesn't class as flirting, but I don't know. When I said that I wasn't, she laughed in this really cold way. Her response was to back me up against a wall and hiss in my ear, saying that if I 'stole her man', I would be severely hurt. I replied by saying that I knew that she liked Oliver, and I wouldn't steal him. She laughed that cold laugh and said that I was right; I was too much of a prude to steal a man, and that I had no chance with a 'proper man'.

I think it has been established that we are no longer friends. I blinked back tears as Alicia hugged me tighter. I don't know what to make of this situation. Why has she turned into this... bitch? Something big must have happened. What it is, I don't know.

"But she'll come crawling back to you, I assure you. You can't let her get what she wants."

Now, although we clearly are not friends anymore, I don't want to hurt her in any way. Alicia and Angelina's plan... it isn't nice. And I wouldn't want it happening to me, so I shouldn't do it to anyone else.

"Allie, I don't know. If she does come crawling back, with an actual apology-"

"No! Don't you see? She thinks that she can treat you like shit and expect forgiveness. She's taking advantage of your good nature, Claire. Don't let her."

"But-"

"Claire," she said snappily. "Have you heard of karma?"

I nodded; of course I have.

"Yeah, well, this plan is karma for all the things that she has done to you."

"But karma is a natural thing," I argued, brushing a piece of hair from my eyes. "You have to let the universe take care of it."

Alicia smirked. "Let's give the universe a holiday, Claire. Well, Angie and I are going ahead with it. If anything changes and you want to join us, tell me."

Meekly, I nodded, and Allie handed me a few more tissues.

"Now, are you going to be okay? I have to work with Penelope Clearwater for potions."

Oh yeah. Snape assigned all the sixth years a task: create a new potion that would make a contribution to our life. We had to complete this with our partners.

"Yeah. Thanks, Allie."

"No problem. I'm your friend, and I'll always be there to help you when you need it," she beamed. "Now, if you wanna talk, just join Penny and me. She likes you, so you'll be welcome."

I didn't really like Penelope, to be honest. She's very proud, much like Percy (I guess I can be a bit like a female Percy at times; I'm a stickler for rules) and I find that she can be arrogant. I shook my head.

"I should go and find Oliver, and see if he wants to start."

Alicia nodded. "Make sure that Katie is around if possible, and do whatever you're doing, because you sure are pissing her off!"

With that, Alicia skipped out of the room.

I walked down to the common room, and spotted Oliver, surrounded by a group of girls. Gag. No offense to them, but they treat him as if he's a god or something. He's just a guy, seriously. They like him because he's good at Quidditch... and he's hot. Ugh.

I walked up to Oliver, feeling very shy. Well, wouldn't you? I'm surrounded by girls who judge, judge, judge. These are the popular girls in the school. However, I tried to ignore them.

"What's up, Claire?" he asked in his thick Scottish brogue, smiling slightly. There was a blonde girl next to him, with a hand on his leg. It took me a moment to recognise who she was.

Katie.

I haven't seen her for a bit over an hour, yet that was the biggest hourly transformation that I have ever seen. She was wearing makeup – which she never did – and her hair had been straightened. She was also wearing the scantiest clothing that I have ever seen her wear.

Angelina, Alicia, Katie and I moved as a quad. We weren't the popular girls or the nerdy girls; we were in the middle. We didn't wear makeup, we didn't dress up and we didn't try to be anything that we weren't. Now, however, our quad has clearly become a trio. Katie is now one of those girls; the ones that all the girls want to be, and all the guys want to be with. The transformation was completely shocking.

The biggest transformation was her attitude.

She cocked an eyebrow at me, daring me to speak. I become very tongue-tied, but I stood my ground.

"We have that potions assignment, and-"

"Oh, homework!" Katie said in a high-pitched voice, and all the girls around her burst into high pitched laughter. She's so funny I forgot to laugh.

"Yeah, Claire loves to make sure that all her homework is handed in, to please the teachers," she continued, and I glanced at Oliver, who was frowning slightly. A brunette girl whispered something into Katie's ear, and I caught the words 'shag' and 'Snape.' Shudder. Horrible combination. I'm not so sure that Katie will come crawling back to me now...

"Lay off her," he said to the girls, standing up. I was so relieved that he didn't join in on the laughter; that would have been hard to cope with. In fact, my bottom lip was shaking with emotion that I needed to repress.

"Sure, Claire. Just let me go and get my things and I'll meet you down here."

Keen to avoid being around Katie and The Sluts, (that's what Angie calls the girls who fangirl over Oliver and other Quidditch players) I gathered my stuff from my Dorms and met Oliver downstairs. He smiled at me, causing my legs to turn to jelly. Woah... I think I'm a bit sensitive today.

"Where do you want to study?" I asked, trying to avoid Katie's raucous laughter.

"Quidditch pitch. Then I can go for a fly."

I nodded and we walked down to the pitch. It was dusk, and a few owls were hooting in the distance. We sat down on the stands and I took out my quill and parchment.

"So," I began. "We need to think and make a potion that will be a contribution to life. I was thinking of a poison."

"Why?" Oliver asked, frowning.

"Because no Snape is a contribution to life."

Oliver started laughing, and my god, it was such a rich sound.

"Anyways," I said briskly, brushing away my thoughts. "Do you have any ideas?"

"A potion that will get rid of crazy fangirls?" Oliver suggested, looking hopeful. I giggled.

"Just tell them to go away. You're a man!"

He looked a little uncomfortable. "I would, but it just seems mean. I mean, they like me, and I tell them to go away..."

Angelina and Alicia would have scoffed at that comment, but I agreed with him. I'm a naturally nice person (well, in comparison to _certain people_) and I don't like making people upset. For example, Draco Malfoy used to follow me around like a lost puppy, and I couldn't bring myself to tell him to sod off.

Anyhow, I nodded at him.

"Yeah, but if it annoys you, you should put your foot down."

"True," he said, stretching his legs out on the bleachers. I found that my eyes were roaming down his legs...

Bad Claire!

"How are you and Katie?" he asked abruptly, looking as though he didn't notice me openly checking him out.

"I don't think we're friends anymore," I confessed, feeling a hollow feeling in my chest. "She thinks that I fancy you, and we had a row..."

I looked back up at him, and there was an expression on his face, one that I could not read.

"_Do_ you fancy me?"

"No," I replied, a little too quickly. Was it just me, or did his face fall?

"Okay," he said. "Then why didn't you explain that to her?"

"I did," I responded, rolling my eyes. Since when do I roll my eyes? "But she didn't listen. She's convinced that you two are gonna get married or something."

He snorted. "No offense to her, but not going to happen. She's a looker, and she can play Quidditch... but no. I would prefer a girl who is a bit... nicer than her."

I laughed, trying to shake off my annoyance as he said that Katie was a looker. "Well, that pretty much leaves all the girls in the school, apart from your fangirls."

Woah... I'm having really mean thoughts today! Blame the period, your honour. I was always a little snappy during my time of the month, which Alicia nicknamed 'lycanthropy'. She said that I turn into a metaphorical werewolf during the time of the month: I was snappy, angry and vicious. I didn't agree; I wasn't that bad. Angelina was worse. One day, I walked into the Great Hall angrily, and Katie raised an eyebrow. I said that I was a werewolf quite loudly and a first year screamed and ran away from me. That was a funny day.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I blushed. As if I was going to tell him that I was thinking about my period!

"Just a funny memory," I said, looking back at the piece of parchment. Right. Back on track.

"Ugh, stuff this," I grumbled, turning away from the parchment. I can't think with all this Katie stuff swirling around in my head. Ooh, look Katie. I'm ditching my homework. CALL 911! CALL THE MENTAL ASYLUM! CALL THE AMBULANCE! CALL KENT BROCKMAN SO THAT HE CAN REPORT IT! CLAIRE TYLER HAS DECIDED NOT TO DO HER HOMEWORK!

Kent Brockman? I've been watching _way_ too much _Simpsons_ with my brother...

"Can you fly?" Oliver asked, brown eyes wide and eager. I felt a little bad when I shook my head, and his smile dropped.

"Can I teach you?"

Katie, Alicia and Angelina tried to teach me how to fly a few years back. Well, with my broken arms, I was sure to be trying _that_ again.

"I've tried, but... just, well; my talents do not lie in the skies."

"Can I please teach you?" he asked, brown eyes wide again, just as his smile was. Aw, he was so cute... like a puppy dog...

Whoa, periods really mess with my brain cells.

"Fine," I sighed, knowing that I would probably regret doing so later. "But if I get hurt, I will not be pleased."

He grinned. "I won't hurt you, Claire."

Oliver found a broom and instructed me on how to mount it.

"You have to grip it tight, because you don't want to be falling off the edge, but-"

It was as though my brain had been replaced by Fred Weasley's. I found Oliver's sentence to be really amusing. Grip it tight?

"Grip what tight?" I asked, widening my blue eyes innocently. Well, I may as well have fun today. Then it wouldn't be a complete waste.

"The broomstick," he repeated, frowning. I nodded and bit my lip.

"Sure, I'll grip your broomstick tight," I said, stepping forward. Did he get it now?

I think he did, because he started stuttering.

"O-okay Claire, you d-do that."

I decided to stop being immature, because Oliver was being sweet by offering to teach me how to fly. He didn't have to, so it would seem really rude and ungrateful if I spent my whole lesson trying to find innuendos out of everything he said.

In a few minutes, I had grasped the concept of flying around, with my feet hovering a few inches above ground. It sounded somewhat pathetic, that I was only learning how to fly at age sixteen, but hey, I'm not coordinated.

"You're really good, Claire!" he said, brown eyes shining. I smiled shyly and looked at the floor. He's just being polite. I guess that I'm like that sometimes too. I am a bit of a suck up. But I would rather that than Katie's harsh, pessimistic views. "Would you like to ride with me?"

Woah... um...

Oh. He meant it literally.

"I don't know... I'll probably fall off..."

"Don't worry. Just hold on tight and you'll be fine."

I was about to say no, when he gave me such a pleading look... he looked like a puppy dog. Damn those brown eyes.

"Okay," I sighed. He sat on one of the school brooms and I sat on it behind him.

"Hold on," he softly said, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. Oh god, he smelled _so_ good...

Stupid period.

My hair whipped out behind my head and the cool air washed over my body. I gripped onto Oliver, scared that I was going to fall.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" he yelled over the rush of the wind.

"Yeah!" I replied, and I really meant it. Flying was really quite exhilarating.

Oliver Wood isn't that bad.

* * *

><p>It was a good thing that we had a month to finish our potions assignment, because Snape was in a foul mood the next day. Alicia and Penelope were sitting next to Oliver and me during potions, and Alicia whispered, "I think that Snape is a werewolf."<p>

I started giggling and Oliver frowned.

"I don't think that Snape is a werewolf!"

"Inside joke," I whispered, as Snape glared at us.

"Would you care to tell the class what is so funny, Miss Tyler?"

I saw Katie raise an eyebrow at me, challenging me. She thought that I was going to respond with something acceptable. Something a good girl would respond with.

"I was telling my friends that you must have your period today," I said in a calm demeanour, as I heard laughter across the classroom. Snape turned a ghastly shade of puce.

"You seem to be very confused, Miss Tyler. Do I have to give you the talk? I am a male."

"Really? I assumed that you were female. Sorry, Professor. I'm so confused!"

All colour drained from Snape's face.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention all week, Miss Tyler."

The whole class were laughing, and I felt oddly satisfied. That is, until I heard Katie call out, "Ooh, Claire Tyler has her first detention! Let's celebrate this momentous day!"

I tried not to let her see how hurt that comment made me. I think that Oliver realised how upset I was, because he rubbed my shoulder.

"Don't pay attention to her, Claire. I think that was amazing," he said, softly and soothingly. I snuck a glance at Katie, who was glaring daggers at me. Shoot.

I did that to prove that I have guts.

It only made me feel even more gutless.

"Seriously," Oliver assured, as I felt tears pour down my cheeks, for unknown reasons. "Standing up against Snape was cool. Katie just feels bad because she would never have the guts or the intelligence to say anything like that."

I looked up into his shining brown eyes, and he was being completely honest. He gave me a small smile.

I did actually feel a bit better.

* * *

><p>I made my way down to the dungeons that night, wrapping my jumper tightly around my body. How the Slytherins can survive in this cold is beyond me. I was about to enter the classroom, when I heard a low moan. Curious, I looked around, and spotted <em>them<em>.

Oliver and Katie.

She was backed up against a wall, as Oliver pressed into her. Her fingers were running through her hair, as she moaned. His hand was slipping up her shirt. I felt bile bubble in my throat at the sight of them. There was a feeling that I've never felt: I was so furious. I wanted to tear out Katie's perfect hair, pull him off her... why was she with him?

I swiftly walked into the potions classroom, and Snape ordered me to clean cauldrons without magic. Tears were pouring down my cheeks for reasons unbeknownst to me. God, I was so, so angry. He said that he didn't fancy her! But why do I care...

God.

I scrubbed at the cauldrons, imagining that they were Katie's face. I've never been an angry or violent person, but now...

Snape dismissed me and I ran as fast as I could up to my Dorms. Alicia and Angelina were there, but Katie wasn't. Great.

I had one thought formed in my head.

"This plan... count me in, girls."


	4. Chapter 4

Alicia and Angelina were shocked to discover that Katie didn't come crawling back. In fact, she seemed perfectly happy about her new friends and boyfriend. I tried not to scowl at the word.

And we were happy too. Without Katie's negative influence, it seemed as though we were all so much happier. When I was with my friends, there was no whining, which usually came from Katie. Instead, we actually had fun.

It had only been three short days since I saw Katie and Oliver snogging in the dungeons, but it felt like so much longer. They were officially a thing now. It seemed that everyone was as shocked as I initially was. I mean, they never showed any interest in each other, and yet now they were… together. Every time that I saw them together, I tried to ignore it. But there were always niggling thoughts at the back of my head, and most of them involved Katie and a vicious werewolf. And my friends say that I'm a good girl.

Apart from those thoughts, I've been happier than I've been in ages.

"The first Quidditch match of the season is coming up," Angelina stated, as we sat by the lake on afternoon. "You haven't been coming to training sessions like usual, Claire. It isn't because of Katie being there, is it?"

I shook my head. Of course it isn't. It is more because of the fact that she _and_ Oliver are there.

"No, I've just been doing more and more homework, and I suppose I just haven't had the time."

Okay, okay. I know that missing out on seeing my best friends train because I don't have the guts to look at a couple sounds pathetic, but you know what would be even more pathetic? If I broke down in tears if I see Oliver and Katie kiss. Trust me, I've felt like doing that on more than one occasion.

"Oh," Alicia said, raising an eyebrow. "You sure that it isn't more than that?"

Alicia is like a walking talking lie detector. But I nodded and hoped that her lie detector skills were faulty. I really wasn't in the mood to talk about how I wanted to rip Katie's head off because she was with Oliver.

Speaking of Oliver…

Shit! We have that potions assignment together!

Just bloody wonderful.

"I've gotta go," I said, brushing a piece of hair from my eyes. "I need to find Oliver. We have a potions assignment together."

Angelina smirked and nodded, whereas Alicia appeared to be merely bored. I ran off to the Quidditch pitch, where I bet my books that Oliver would be.

When I spotted him flying through the air like a bird, I couldn't help but grin. I know that I'm annoyed and confused when it comes to him, but he looked so carefree up in the sky. When he spotted me, he smiled and landed his broom.

"Okay there, Claire?"

His hair was very windswept, his cheeks a light shade of pink. My cheeks started to turn red as I nodded, folding my arms around my chest. I didn't realise how cold it really was.

"Yeah, I am. But we have that potions assignment together, and I was wondering whether you had time to do it now?"

He checked his watch and looked back at me, nodding.

"Sure. Let me put this away and we can go to one of the empty classrooms. McGonagall usually lets students work there, and you are a prefect."

I nodded and smiled, but the smile felt forced. I couldn't even look at him without thinking about Katie and her hands all over him. When Oliver came back from the broom shed, he put his hands in his pocket and grinned. It was a really attractive sight, seeing his sculpted features contorted in such a loving smile…

I think that I've been having too much caffeine. It's the only logical reason for my strange thoughts. Or a lack of sleep. Actually, that's probably the reason. I haven't been sleeping well, for a few reasons. Firstly, I had itching powder in my bed a few nights ago, and I have a pretty good idea who put it there. Secondly, if I do get to sleep, I have dreams about Katie and Oliver getting married. More like nightmares if you ask me. A sweet guy like Oliver doesn't deserve a cow like Katie.

And thirdly, Katie snores. I wish I didn't have to share a dorm with her, but the only other option is to sleep in the common room. And trust me, you do _not_ want to wake up to a first year prodding you.

"Have you had any more thoughts about what our potion should do?" Oliver asked.

"A potion that stops your girlfriend snoring?" I suggested bitterly, without thinking. He chuckled and nudged my arm.

"I think it's already created, Claire. What about a potion that makes people snore?"

"Why would you want that?"

"No idea."

I couldn't help but smirk at the suggestion. Then I had an idea…

"What about a potion that would make someone fall out of love with someone?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow and I felt heat rise in my cheeks.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I dunno," I shrugged. "But a potion like that would definitely be popular amongst girls."

He smiled. "You're too nice to want to do that to someone."

Am I?

"And anyway," he pressed on. "Love isn't something that you can stop with a potion." He placed a hand on my waist, and my breath hitched in my throat. "It's too strong for that."

I felt as though he was talking to me, which is ludicrous in itself, I know. His lips were parted, brown eyes burning into my blue ones. But then he removed his hands from my waist, looking very flustered. I felt the same way.

"Why don't we make a potion that stops hair loss?" I blurted out. Oliver looked at me long and hard, before nodding. I think we decided to overlook that awkward moment.

"It's been created, but we can try and improve how it works," he said, and I nodded in agreement.

The potion didn't take too long to make. But we had to test it out to see if it worked.

"Dumbledore and Hagrid don't need any more hair than they already have," I said. "But Filch has a bald patch, why don't we try him?"

Oliver smirked. "Okay, sounds like a plan. But we'll need to trick him."

I smiled. I have the reputation as the only student that Filch likes. Very long story, but I gave him a lot of help one day. And hey, it isn't that bad to use my reputation to my advantage, right?

"Leave it to me."

Oliver followed me down the hallway, and I told him to hide behind a pillar. I tightly held the flask in my hands as I found Filch, scrubbing a wall.

"Hello, Mr Filch," I said politely. He turned to he and his hard expression softened a tad.

"Hello Miss Tyler," he began. "How can I help you?"

See what I mean? Filch is positively dapper when he talks to me!

"You are such an asset to this school," I began, and I heard Oliver chuckle. Luckily, Filch is hard of hearing. "And I've made a potion that might help to relieve your joint pain. Would you like to try it?"

He looked slightly apprehensive, but I smiled widely and handed him the flask. If the potion works, I don't think that Filch will like me anymore. He unscrewed the cork and poured the entire contents into his mouth.

For a moment, nothing happened. I opened my mouth to speak, but suddenly, it was as though there was an explosion.

Where Filch stood, a hairball was in its place.

It was huge! You could barely make out his face, let alone his arms and legs. I heard a strangled yell emit from the Filch-Ball, and I felt Oliver's hand enclose around my wrist.

"I would suggest that we run," he whispered into my ear, as the Filch-Ball started to run after us. Trying not to burst into laughter, we sprinted up the staircase that led to the Gryffindor common room. When we uttered the password to the Fat Lady, we walked inside and burst into hysterical laughter.

"Oh my god," I wheezed, clutching a stitch in my side. "That was-"

"Hilarious," he finished for me.

"I think the potion worked," I assessed, trying and failing to act seriously about the situation. I burst into giggles again, and they didn't stop until a familiar blonde haired girl walked towards us.

"Ollie," she simpered, in a would-be sweet voice, if her eyes weren't cold. "What are you laughing about?"

"You'll see," he wheezed, cheeks red from laughter. However, my laughter had completely ceased, due to Katie Bell's presence.

"Can you come with me, Ollie?"

He stood up straight and suddenly stopped laughing. "Sorry, Katie, Claire and I have potions work together."

I opened my mouth to interject, but Oliver stopped me, smiled at Katie and pulled me to an empty table in the common room.

"What was that about?" I asked, frowning.

"I don't really want to be around Katie at the moment," he said, shifting uncomfortably. My heart leaped.

"Why?"

"She's just being a bit… mean at the moment."

No surprise there. "How?"

"She just keeps saying horrible things about you and Angelina and Alicia, and no offence to her, but I am not interested in her opinion."

I looked at the floor. "Oliver, if she's your girlfriend, you should accept her opinion."

I didn't mean to say that, but I was sort of glad I did.

"Yeah, but you are my friend, and so are Angelina and Alicia. She should respect that and keep her opinions to herself."

"But-"

"Claire," he interjected, looking a little frustrated. "I know what she's done to you, and I'm not sure if I want a girlfriend who ditches her friends."

That's exactly what we did to Katie, in a way… wait, I'm not his girlfriend; he's talking about Katie. Oliver sounds as though he is trying to break up with Katie, and she will definitely think that I am the cause, even if I'm not. I've had a really good three days, and I don't want that to end with Katie being… Katie.

So I decided to try to salvage their relationship, even if it meant that I wasn't all too happy about it.

"Oliver, Katie is a good person. You know how I'm naturally friendly? Well, she's naturally the opposite. I'm not friends with her anymore, but I don't want you to hurt her. She's a good person, and I think that if you get to know her better, you'll see that."

His expression was hard to read. He looked a little sad, to be honest. Now _that_ confused me.

"Okay," he finally said, giving me a small smile. "Making the potion was fun, Claire. I bet we'll get top marks for it."

Oliver didn't speak to me for the rest of the week.

* * *

><p>That is, until we had the potions lesson that we had to hand in our creation. Snape held the flask under a flame, in order to examine the contents. His black eyes locked on mine, and it felt as though he was reading into my very soul.<p>

"Miss Tyler, does this potion have anything to do with Filch looking like a hairball?"

I bit back a laugh and solemnly nodded. For the first time ever, Snape looked impressed.

"Miss Tyler, Mr Wood, this is incredible potion making. You two make a great team."  
>Snape swallowed hard and nodded curtly, before swiftly walking away from us. A grin unfurled on my lips and I turned to Oliver.<p>

"I think we are the only team that made Snape actually look impressed!" I exclaimed. Oliver gave me a small smile and then looked back down at his lap. I could sense that something was wrong, and although I didn't want to pry, I felt as though I should.

After I spoke to him last week, he seemed to be happier around Katie. The thought made me feel oddly hollow.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly.

"Yeah," he replied, standing up. "But I have to go."

With that, he walked out of the classroom. My mind wandered back to the night when we had an 'intimate moment'; the night when we made the potion.

Oliver Wood is a baffling person.


	5. Chapter 5

**I realised something about this story and my life just as I was writing this. I had a friend who was a lot like Katie: pessimistic, sarcastic, prone to being unsupportive etc. But she seemed so trustworthy and loyal at the same time. Anyway, my story differs because my friend ditched me, not the other way around, and I'm not a thing like Claire. Also, my 'friend' started telling my boyfriend lies about me in retaliation. What I have learned: don't trust anyone. So this story has become a lot closer to me. Anyway, thanks for the reviews! Much appreciated x**

* * *

><p>I liked Oliver.<p>

I realised it one night, when I was drifting off to sleep. It wasn't like a sudden realisation, though. When I actually thought about it, I realised that I had for a while. It didn't shock me, but it did annoy me. See, after seeing Angelina go through so many boys and have her heart broken every time, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't scared of love. Not that this is love, but you know what I mean. And Alicia hates boys with a passion, so I can't take any of her past actions into consideration. And Katie... she's changed.

In books, the cliché thing for a girl to do is to hope that the crush fades away. I'm not saying that it will fade away, but I'm not saying that it won't, either.

Crushes are meddlesome. Take one look at Angie and you can see it. In fact, she once came up with a list of 'ten reasons why a crush is annoying'. This is what the list comprised of:

_Ten reasons why a crush is annoying_

_By Angelina Johnson_

_Reason 1: You have to shave your legs constantly. Honestly, you can't go a few days without shaving! _

_Reason 2: You go through so much make up. For a guy to notice you, make up is a key factor. Two tubes of mascara, four tubes of lipgloss and three eyeliner pencils is what I went through a few months ago. My poor wallet!_

_Reason 3: You have to resign yourself to the fact that you are most likely going to be snappy with the crush around your time of the month. One time, I almost got a guy, and then I accidentally called him a prat and... you get the gist. _

_Reason 4: You have to be on your best behaviour in public. No swearing. No burping or farting. No mentioning strange quirks to your friends, in case the crush in question is listening._

_Reason 5: Jealousy. If you see your crush with another girl, it can be both infuriating and heart breaking. You have to get used to the fact that since the crush isn't yours, you can't tell them to stop talking to other girls. The smart option would be to distance yourself from the crush, but... it's kinda hard, okay?_

_Reason 6: You tend to change into someone you are not entirely proud of. For me, I turn into an intensely girly girl who batters her eyelashes._

_Reason 7: Not all cases of crushes go both ways. You have to prepare for heartbreak._

_Reason 8: If your crush does like you back, yay! But then your life revolves around a relationship, and that causes so many problems... I'll save that for another time._

_Reason 9: There is a strong possibility that your friends will try to set you up with your crush, or tell him. Trust me, not a pleasant experience._

_Reason 10: You notice every little detail about your crush, so much so that you begin to fantasise. And then you know that your crush isn't going to go away for a while._

What I have learned from Angie's wise words is that crushes are stupid, and ruin your life.

Maybe I'm being melodramatic, maybe I'm assuming things. But when you've seen one of your best friends sobbing into her pillow innumerable times... it does make you wary.

I groaned into my pillow. Oliver is with someone! My ex best friend, for that matter. It only complicates things.

I try not to be nasty, but every now and then, a nasty thought creeps into my mind.

_If I steal Oliver from Katie, maybe then she'll see that it isn't nice when a supposed friend betrays you. Maybe it would be good for Angie and Allie's plan, for our plan._

I have been becoming so jealous and nasty lately, and I don't like it.

Is it because I have a crush, or because I'm missing Katie?

Or is it a combination of both?

Although Allie is the more sympathetic out of her and Angie, I knew that I couldn't go to her for advice on this crush. She would tell me that I've broken the sister code rule one: no boys, just besties. Then all of her friends will have broken it.

* * *

><p>I found Angie sitting by herself in the common room that afternoon, reading. The common room was practically deserted: most people were taking advantage of the sunny weather. She had decided to take advantage of the practically deserted common room.<p>

"Hey," I said, and she looked up from her book, smiling.

"Hey, sit down," she said, moving over so that I could take a seat. Her eyes roamed over my features, before a satisfied sort of smirk crossed her face.

"Let me guess: you are about to tell me that you've broken the first sister code for Oliver?"

I winced slightly. She made it sound as though I have committed a crime.

"Yes," I said softly, hiding behind my hair. She smiled again.

"Sweetie, your first crush is nothing to be afraid of."

"It sort of is, considering that Katie Bell is involved."

Angie pursed her lips. "Yeah, well, that bint is nothing but trouble, eh? Oliver will see that soon."

"And in the meantime?"

"Hold tight, sweetie. Once you realise that you have a crush, it intensifies."

I blushed. "I just don't want to have a crush. It complicates things!"

"But it also makes you realise things," she said gently, wrapping an arm around my waist in a friendly way. "About yourself. Are you the type of girl who would ditch her friends to go after a boy? Are you the type of girl who would slip her crush a love potion? Are you the type of girl who would shag her crush just for the fun of it?"

I blushed and shook my head. "I'm a good girl, remember?"

She smiled. "Exactly, Claire. You're a good girl and you will not let this crush rule your life, like crushes have done to me," she said. "Not that I've ever slipped a love potion or shagged a guy," she added hastily, and I knew that she wasn't lying. I giggled and hugged her tightly. Without Katie, everything seemed so much happier. That is, when it comes to un-Oliver related things.

* * *

><p>I ran into Oliver the next day, on the way to Transfiguration. I expected myself to swoon and drool over his gorgeousness. I didn't, though. In fact, my realisation that I had a crush didn't change much. Thank Merlin.<p>

"Hey, Claire," he said cheerily. "How've you been?"

He looked so genuine and sweet that I felt like melting. Maybe some things have changed.

"Fine," I replied. "You?"

He grinned, but it seemed forced. "Yeah, great. Katie's wonderful."

I smiled, but it hurt. "Yeah, she is, isn't she? That explains why she treated us like shit."

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I rarely swore, and he knew that, thus he was taken by surprise.

"Claire-"

"I'm sorry," I muttered, walking off. Crap, crap, crap!

Crushes suck. Like Angie's list said, you had to be careful around them.

Oh, who am I kidding! It's just a crush, for Merlin's sake! It isn't as though it means that much. Why am I acting as though it does.

Thanks, Ange, for making me paranoid.

* * *

><p>I was walking up to the Astronomy Tower later that day. I always went up there to clear my head. And today, I had a lot to clear my head of. Mainly the Oliver issue.<p>

As I reached the top of the stairs, and was just about to descend onto the tower, the sound of sobs reached my ears. It was clearly a girl, but not a little one. Cautiously, I walked onto the tower, looking around to see who was crying. It would be nice to comfort someone, and take my mind off my own issues.

I found the person who was crying pretty quickly. She was sitting in a corner, knees drawn up to her chin and head down. To my greatest surprise, it was Katie.

The thing about Katie is that she is as tough as nails. I have never seen her cry before. And here she was before me, a sobbing wreck.

We may not be friends anymore. And I may be supposed to treat her badly, as Angie and Allie's plan dictated so. But I couldn't, not when my tough as nails ex best friend was sobbing. Whatever it was, it was something big.

"Katie?" I said softly, and she snapped her face up to mine. It looked as though she had been crying for a long, long time. Her face was red and blotchy, her cheeks were wet and her eyes were bloodshot. I suddenly felt my stomach flip. Something is seriously wrong.

"Fuck," he hissed, wiping the tears away with the heel of her hand. "What do you want?"

She may throw all my concern back in my face, but I wasn't going to leave her. She may have treated me badly, but that doesn't mean that I will do the same to her. I'm not like that.

"You're upset, Katie. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

She stood up quickly, swaying slightly. I grabbed her arm to steady her and she brushed my hand away quickly.

"It isn't any of your business, _Claire_."

"It sort of is."

"No, it isn't! You've made your intentions pretty clear. And I'm glad, because I want nothing to do with you or your stupid little friends. We are no longer friends, and you have no reason or right to go asking if I'm okay."

"_I_ made my intentions clear?" I asked angrily. I was frustrated for so many reasons, so I decided to take it out on Katie, just as she had done to me. "You are the one who completely changed! You are the one who treated me like crap! You are the one who chose a Quidditch player and a couple of slutty friends over your oldest friends! You can't expect us to keep putting up with that."

Katie looked as though she was about to start crying again. It was then that I realised how horrible she looked. Her skin looked flaky, and she had bags under her eyes. I know what I just said was mean, but I couldn't care less.

I'm really changing into someone that I don't want to be.

On that note, Katie stalked off, leaving me feeling angry and confused.

I had a feeling that she wasn't crying over the fact that we were no longer friends. I think that it was something bigger than that.

* * *

><p>I told Alicia and Angelina what I saw in our Dorms that night. They both thought that their plan was working, because Katie was upset. But they didn't know her like I did. And I know that she was crying over something big.<p>

I decided that maybe I should ask Oliver about it. I still can't believe that they are dating. I remember that night when Oliver said that he would want to date someone nicer than Katie, and then BAM! They're dating. And you wonder why I've been so confused lately.

I decided to push the thoughts out of my mind. Angie, Allie and I sat on Allie's bed, the curtains drawn around us, eating marshmallows. We didn't have to worry about people asking questions; Katie always returned late at night, and the other girl in our dorm, Alyssa, was in the library as per usual.

"This is the life," Alicia said, leaning up against her pillows and popping a marshmallow into her mouth. Angie nodded in agreement. I did too, but only half-heartedly. I was worrying about Katie more than I would care to admit.

"I wonder what Fred's doing," Angie wondered, stretching her legs out. Allie rolled her eyes.

"Probably fooling around with his wand," she said simply.

"That's what she said," Angelina said, and Allie rolled her eyes.

"That's the point. He's a horny teenage boy."

"How would you know?" Angelina asked sharply. A strange expression crossed her features, but when she answered, it was believable.

"All teenage boys are," she said. I narrowed my eyes. Something was going on there. "Anyway..."

I think that Angelina noticed Allie's strange expression. So I decided to intervene, in a way that would definitely work.

"I have a crush on Oliver."

Allie's head whipped around so fast that her neck cricked. "What?!"

"I have a crush on Oliver," I repeated, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"When did this happen?" she demanded.

"A few days ago," Angie replied, appearing to have forgotten what they were talking about before. Alicia's green eyes narrowed.

"You have betrayed me, both of you!" she exclaimed. To anyone who didn't know her, it would have looked as though she were being melodramatic, but let me tell you, she wasn't.

"I can't help it," I said, holding my hands up in surrender.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded, looking a little hurt.

"Um..."

"Because she knew that you would act like this," Angelina said simply. "Allie, she didn't want to disappoint you by breaking sister code."

Allie pursed her lips. I don't think that she was too angry. "Fine. But if you start going out with Oliver..."

I felt my stomach flip at the thought. "No way. He doesn't like me in that way."

Angelina sighed. "Sweetie, I wouldn't be so sure."

I turned to face her. "What?"

She and Alicia exchanged looks. "Okay, here's the thing," Angie began. "Last year, me, Allie, Fred and Oliver were playing truth or dare. You and Katie must have been off somewhere... anyway, when it was his turn, I asked who he liked. He blushed and became really nervous, before admitting that he liked you. And when I say like, I mean, really, really like."

I stared at Angie for a few moments, half expecting her to say JUST KIDDING! But she didn't; in fact, she looked completely honest.

I thought about this. My stomach started flipping and an elated feeling started forming in my chest.

But common sensed dowsed it.

"That doesn't explain why he is dating Katie."

Angelina tutted. "Honey, people have motives for dating people sometimes."

I expected to feel relieved at her words, but I didn't. Was Oliver dating Katie to make me jealous? In that case, despite the fact that Katie and I were not friends, I was angry. No one deserves to be used like that. Have a look at how Angie reacts every time she discovers that a guy only wants her for one thing: sex.

But I did like Oliver. He was sweet and thoughtful and cute and I had fun with him.

And Katie and I aren't friends, and I'm meant to be giving her a piece of her own medicine.

But after I saw her sobbing...

Ugh.

I don't know how to feel. Happy, because he apparently likes me back, or annoyed, because he is using my ex-best friend.

Hold up, I'm jumping to conclusions here. I tend to do that when I'm confused. Who says that he still likes me? And who says that he's using Katie?

"Looks like you'll have a boyfriend soon, Claire," Allie said, looking disapproving.

"Not until Katie and he break up," Angie reminded her.

"Why does Katie have to screw everything up?" Allie exclaimed, sighing, popping another marshmallow into her mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello there! Long time no update! Apologies. Anyway, I have a little note about this story: it's slightly AU, because I don't feel like following plot line. So yeah. Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review ;)**

**Thanks to all the reviewers! Your praise has really encouraged me :D**

* * *

><p>It was Christmas time! Christmas time has always been my absolute favourite time of the year. I never fail to give each and every one of my friends gifts, and sometimes, we and the seventh years play Secret Santa. It's childish, yes, but it's a whole lot of fun. This year, however, I think that Secret Santa is the last thing on anyone's mind. Gryffindor lost the most recent Quidditch match and it's all that anyone is talking about. But no matter. Even though Alicia and Angelina were down, it didn't dampen my Christmas spirits. I couldn't wait! We start our holidays tomorrow, a week before Christmas. My parents were going on vacation, so I was staying home with my big brother, Tom. We have a really close relationship, so I expected my holidays to be a blast.<p>

I walked down to breakfast the next day. We had to be at Hogsmeade station by eleven o'clock, and I had already packed my things, so I was ready to go down to breakfast.

It seemed that not many people in Gryffindor did the same as I did. There weren't many people down at breakfast; they were either packing, or if they were staying at Hogwarts, enjoying a sleep in on their first day of the holidays. Holidays always had such a good vibe to them. No homework, no worries, as Tom likes to put it. Easy for him to say. He has a successful career already, and I'm struggling with my workload and I'm not even in seventh year yet.

As I inspected Gryffindor table, no sixth years were down there, except for Oliver. I didn't want to seem like a loner, and it was the holidays, and he was calling me... so I decided to sit next to him.

"Hey, Claire," he said, grinning. "Happy holidays."

"Happy holidays," I replied, trying to act as normal as possible. His eyes were shining with happiness and a sense of relief; I guessed that he too was glad that it was the holidays.

"What are you doing this Christmas?" he asked, looking genuinely interested. I didn't feel awkward in the slightest, surprisingly, as I replied.

"Nothing much. Probably just hanging out with my family. What about you?"

He shrugged, a playful grin playing on his features. "Same. My Dad's a muggle, and we're going to a muggle concert together. Guns N' Roses. Have you heard of them?"

"Yeah," I replied, remembering a few records that my Dad has. "They're alright. My Dad's a muggleborn," I added. There was a slightly awkward silence. I wonder if what Alicia and Angelina told me is true? That he fancies me... because if he does, I fancy him, and maybe I would be willing to give it a shot... oh yeah. Katie.

I can't even bring myself to be angry with her. Not after the day when I saw her crying. Maybe I'll send her a Christmas present and a card... I just want her to know that I'm sorry for completely shunning her like I did. In a way though, she got what she deserved, but in another sense, I feel horrible.

There's so many things that I'm confused about!

I was jolted out of my thoughts by a calloused hand being placed on my thigh. I jumped at the sensation, looking up at Oliver, who was staring at me with a strange look in his eyes, a look that was making my breath hitch in my throat.

"What are you doing?" I managed to say amongst my conflicting thoughts.

He suddenly turned bright red. "Sorry," he mumbled, standing up. "Have a good Christmas, Claire."

Which left me even more confused than I was before.

* * *

><p>"Claire!"<p>

My brother ran towards me, a wide grin visible on his features. He wrapped me in his arms, spinning me around.

"Merlin, I've missed you," he said, pulling away from the hug and grabbing my bag. "Good term?"

I never kept anything from Tom. I would be telling him everything that has happened.

"I'll tell you later."

* * *

><p>And tell him I did.<p>

Most brothers and sisters don't have the close relationship that Tom and I do. But we rarely fight, and he's practically my best friend. Of course I wasn't going to keep anything from him. See, Tom is kind of like me, in the sense that he's 'good.' Well, that's how I'm labelled anyway. But Tom is one of those people that others take advantage of, because of his accepting ways and good nature. He told me that the same happened to me; Katie took advantage of my good nature and thought that she could treat me any old way. I agreed with him.

"Don't get me wrong," he said, stretching out on my bed, blue eyes shining. "Katie's a good person and all. Not bad to look at, either-"

"What?" I exclaimed, eyes widening. This is the first I've heard of this. "You think she's pretty?"

He shrugged, cheeks turning pink. "I suppose. I was actually going to ask her out soon, but obviously not now. Don't look at me like that; she's only three years younger than me."

I continued to stare at Tom incredulously. He told me everything, and I mean _everything_. If he was planning on asking Katie out, he must have liked her for a while. I was suddenly angry.

Well, Tom, I'll just _forget_ to tell you about Oliver.

"Why Katie?" I asked, trying to keep the bitter tone out of my voice. First she dates my crush, and now she's managed to put my brother under her spell.

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I don't know. I know that she's really negative and that can get annoying, but when she's happy..."

Tom trailed off, a wistful look in his eyes. I bit my lip. This wasn't good.

"So you're in love with her?"

"What? No!" he exclaimed. "I don't know. But nothing is ever going to happen now, because you two aren't friends."

So the only reason he was holding back was because of me?

I would have felt bad, but honestly, I was too racked off.

"What about you?" he asked, changing his embarrassed attitude quickly. "Any love interests on the horizon?"

"No," I replied, a little too quickly. He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? C'mon, Claire; we tell each other everything!"

"Oh, so that explains why you failed to mention your crush on Katie. Right."

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, so I take it that there is a love interest. Let's play yes or no."

Yes or no was a game that Tom and I used to play when we were little. We asked each other questions where the only answers could be yes or no.

"Fine," I said breezily, my red cheeks giving the game away. "You'll never find out who it is this way."

"So there is someone!" Tom exclaimed triumphantly. "Okay, let's start. Boy?"

"Yes, duh."

"Blonde hair?"

"No."

"Brown hair?"

"Yes."

"Brown eyes?"

"Yes."

"Gryffindor?"

"Yes."

"Nerd?"

"No."

"Prep?"

"No."

"Jock?"

"Yes."

"Quidditch team?"

"Yes."

"Does he like you back?"

"Apparently."

"Taken?"

"Yes."

"That makes no sense," he said. "If he likes you, why is he taken?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "Alicia and Angie say that he's dating K- the girl to make me jealous. Apparently he's liked me for ages. It's so confusing."

He frowned, looking thoughtful. "Okay, let's continue. Hot?"

"Yes."

"Smart?"

"Yes."

"Nice?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Tom eventually said. "You have a crush on a male Gryffindor Quidditch player with brown hair and brown eyes. He's hot, smart and nice. And he has a girlfriend, but he likes you. He's practically perfect. Either he's a figment of your imagination, or..."

Crap! Tom knows all the members of the Quidditch team!

"It isn't Alicia, Angie or Katie. It can't be Fred and George. And not Harry Potter either... it's Oliver Wood!"

Damn his incredible logic!

"You have a crush on Oliver Wood! Oh, I remember him from years ago! He was so popular, even back then..."

"Stop fangirling," I said, punching his arm. "Look, it will never happen. I'm the sweet girl who can't hurt a fly and constantly has her head buried in a book. Why am I even a Gryffindor? And he's the most popular guy in Gryffindor, Quidditch captain to boot. Plus, he's dating Katie."

Tom's expression sharpened. "Katie? He's dating Katie? She's the girl he's using to make you jealous?"

"Yeah," I admitted. Well, my plans of keeping Tom in the dark failed.

"That's low," he said, clenching his teeth. "She's lost her best friends and he's using her to make her ex-best friend jealous."

"It isn't as simple as that," I said snippily. Tom is the only person who can truly make me angry. "She betrayed us. She took out whatever shit is going on out on us. I don't care if she's being used."

This wasn't true, but I was defending myself as much as Oliver. Of course I cared.

Tom's expression stayed the same: annoyed. "This isn't the Claire that I knew. The Claire that I knew would have realised that there would be a reason for why Katie has started acting the way she has. The Claire that I knew would have found out why."

I was brought back to the day when I saw Katie crying, and I knew that Tom was right.

"I caught her crying one day," I admitted. "And I asked what was wrong. She didn't tell me. But it was something big. Look, she isn't going to listen to me. Is there any way that you could talk to her?"

Katie used to have a crush on Tom, and although I'm fairly certain that the crush has faded, she's always been friends with Tom. He's so happy and she's so not, but they still made a good team. When we were younger, we all used to play hide and seek together, and they always found a way to gang up against me. So maybe there is a chance...

"I'll try," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I'll write a letter to her tonight."

"Thank you," I said. "I'm afraid that I've screwed things with her. I just hope that you can get through to her."

* * *

><p>The next day, Tom and I were going Christmas shopping. I had already got some gifts from wizarding shops, but I wanted to get Allie some muggle clothes, because she prefers them to wizarding clothes.<p>

"Morning," Tom said at breakfast, sitting down next to me. "Good sleep?"

"Alright," I lied. I had been thinking about what in the name of Merlin could have happened to Katie, and the thoughts had rendered sleep impossible. Tom raised an eyebrow, and he must have sensed it was to do with Katie, because the next words he said were Katie related.

"I wrote her the letter last night. It basically said that even thought you two aren't friends anymore, we'll always be friends."

"Good," I said honestly, spearing a piece of bacon with my fork. "I feel really bad for the plan."

"The one where you, Alicia and Angie planned on ditching her?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah."

"Look, you want my opinion? You guys are being bitches. You aren't bitches; you're just acting like it. Friends don't ditch each other, no matter what. I understand that Alicia and Angie were getting fed up with Katie and her attitude, but you were her best friend. You should have stuck up for her."

The one thing that I don't like about Tom is that he has a way of making people feel bad. Usually, I had no reason to feel bad, but today, there was a big reason.

I like being nice. I like helping people. I don't like being a girl who ditches her friends.

I would try to patch it up, but the damage is done.

Tom's hard expression softened. "I'm making you feel bad. I'm sorry, Claire, but that's my opinion."

"I get it," I said softly. "I'm turning into a bitch."

Now that I think about it, I actually have been changing into someone that I don't want to be. My attitude has changed. I'm snappier and less understanding.

And I hate it.

"Only kind of," he said firmly. "Anyway, let's stop taking about Katie. We've got Christmas shopping to do!"

* * *

><p>Muggle malls are the coolest. I've always preferred them to wizarding shops. The muggles are really nice and a whole lot friendlier than most wizards are. And the items that the shops contain are the coolest.<p>

There's all different sorts of clothes: bright clothes, dark clothes, tight clothes, loose clothes, dresses, shorts, skirts and everything in between. There's CD shops with rock music and pop music, bookshops with books about magic (no offense, but muggles have no idea), books about science and books about how the world works. There's cinemas where you can watch movies, and photo booths, which are the coolest. I only ever go to muggle malls on the holidays, so I always have the best time that I can.

"You've got that wide-eyed look in your eyes again," Tom joked, nudging me. "Come on, we have heaps of money and heaps of time. Let's shop!" he said in a singsong voice, causing nearby muggles to look at him strangely. Tom has a flair for dramatics.

The first shop that Tom and I made our way to was the CD shop. He wanted to get some Beatles CDs (they are a muggle band that he likes). Whilst he looked for the CDs that he wanted, I had a look at the Green Day CDs (they're also a muggle band, and I really like them). After a while, Tom sidled up next to me, grinning.

"I kinda blew fifty pounds on CDs. Whoops!"

"Fifty pounds well spent," I laughed. Tom grinned at me, and I was going to say something, when I heard someone calling my voice.

"Claire!"

Crap. I knew that Scottish voice.

Tom turned around and then turned back to me, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Claire, your crush is over there."

"Hide me," I whimpered. After that awkward moment with Oliver in the Great Hall, I wasn't really ready to face him.

"Too late," Tom said, giving me an innocent smile. He stepped to the side, giving Oliver a clear view of me.

Okay, so I didn't look the best. I was dressed in daggy jeans and a Rolling Stones shirt. Nothing special.

But Merlin, he looked good. He too was wearing jeans and a plain t-shirt, but he managed to pull it off really well. Damn.

I'm not even going to pretend that he isn't good looking. By hell, he is.

"Hey," he said enthusiastically, stepping towards me. I saw Tom narrow his eyes ever so slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Hunting for elephants," Tom said coldly. "What do you think we're doing? What do most people do at shops?"

Tom was teasing moments ago, and now he's being uncharacteristically cold and sarcastic. What gives?

Oh yeah. He's angry with Oliver because he's dating Katie for the wrong reasons. But that doesn't give Tom a right to be so rude! I gave him a sharp look, but his cold glare didn't cease.

Oliver looked slightly taken aback. I hurried to introduce them.

"Oliver, this is my brother Tom. We're just Christmas shopping."

"Oh," Oliver said, giving Tom a wary smile. Then his gaze focused back on me. "How are you?"

"Good," I said. We had seen each other little over twenty-four hours ago, so nothing much has changed. "You?"

"Same here," he said, giving me a melting grin. Hell, does he have to be _that_ gorgeous?

"Claire," Tom interjected. "We have to be somewhere, remember?"

"What? No we – oh, yeah," I mumbled, as he gave me a sharp look. "Sorry, Oliver. Have a good Christmas."

He looked somewhat disappointed. "Okay. Seeya, Claire."

Tom wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me away from the CD shop. Once out of earshot, I spoke.

"What was that about? You let him see me, which was awkward enough, and then you treat him badly!"

"He's treating Katie badly by using her, so I feel no shame."

I had never seen this side of Tom. Usually, he's so understanding, but now...

"You really do like her, don't you?" I asked softly. I looked up, and his eyes were fixed on a spot in the distance, clouded over.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I do."

I don't think Katie knows how lucky she is.


End file.
